Catholicism, Political Culture, and the Countryside

"Long Live Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and Dynamite:"1 The German Bourgeoisie and the Constructing of Popular Liberal and National-Socialist Subcultures in Marginal Germany

“…If in many agrarian areas the Nazi party succeeded in gaining the support of the local bourgeoisie and other groups by means of a radical (right or left) platform reflecting the crisis of agrarian society after the war and the break in continuity with the pre ..war period, 134 in Catholic South Germany the party was seen as the heir ro the radical democratic tradition. 135 As has been pointed out a number of times in this article, those who were originally called National Lib.. erals were later called "liberal" National Socialists by contemporary observers.…”

“…It was more difficult for them than for others to realize their vision in the chapters of the national-seclallst movement in South Germany. 127 But that does not mean that many of them went back to supporting their former liberal parties and the peasant movements or took refuge in political indifference. Some of thern became more extreme in their attitudes and from 1932 supported the new radical Nazi line with its more anti-liberal, folkish and extremist tone.…”

“…118 Among radicalliberals, support for the National-Socialist movement followed three patterns: 1. Radical-ltberals who set up chapters (Ortsgruppe) became members and disseminared National Socialist propaganda with a radical-liberal flavor in the various regions of Greater Swabia.…”